FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 26, 2020 • HEALTH • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
health
Appreciation for Life
mother of seven, what’s your advice to
women about work-life balance? Don’t
feel guilty. Guilt is the bane of working
women. We’re always asking ourselves,
“Am I at the right place at the right time?”
When people ask my three older children
what it was like when I was working
at GMA, I love what they say: “Th at she
showed us that we can do a lot with our
life. We can be a mom, raise kids, and do
other things.” I was relieved to hear them
say this — you’re always worried that you
screwed them up.
You’ve had an amazing career. What
are some highlights? It was thrilling to
cover the royal weddings of Diana, Fergie,
and Kate, to cover presidential inaugurations,
the Olympics, and do things like
fl y in a fi ghter jet that landed on an aircraft
carrier. But then there are stories
that I still carry with me. One of them
was a story with the American Lung
Association. In the segment a pregnant
woman who was a smoker was hooked up
to an ultrasound machine and when she
took a puff , we could see the baby cringing.
We saw how a baby feels when it’s
not getting oxygen. We got boxes of mail
about that show. Th at was more than 20
years ago. Back then the dangers of smoking
when pregnant weren’t well known.
It brought home that you can’t smoke
and drink when you’re pregnant. Another
story was about a woman whose daughter
was killed by a drunk driver. We interviewed
her on the day the driver was
being put to death. She said the fi rst few
years aft er her daughter’s death she was
fi lled with hatred. It consumed her so
much that her marriage fell apart and she
got a divorce. We asked her how she felt
about him being put to death. She said she
forgave him. She said something I’ll never
forget. “A heart fi lled with anger has no
room for love.”
You’re a longtime health advocate. In
2014 you had to fi ght for yourself when
you were diagnosed with triple-negative
breast cancer. How did your life change?
Breast cancer is viewed as a horrible thing,
but within 24 hours of my diagnosis I
realized it was an opportunity for me to
carry on my dad’s legacy. He was a cancer
surgeon. I didn’t become a doctor, but
I could pass the baton. I could help get
information to women and off er emotional
support. Breast cancer changed the trajectory
of my life and career. When you
survive a crisis you get a new appreciation
for life. Getting cancer pushed me to learn
about my body. I felt empowered by what
I found out and I wanted to share what I
learned. It gave me new purpose.
What inspired your latest book, Why
Did I Come Into Th is Room? Aft er cancer
I wanted to age successfully. I like to
write about what I want to know more
about — that’s my North Star. It took six
years to write because something always
got in the way. But I had to get this done.
Th is book is for all my sisters. We age differently
than men because of estrogen.
We don’t talk enough about aging. I want
the book to be a conversation starter. I
went there, talking about what’s frustrating,
annoying, embarrassing as we age,
everything from a decrease in libido, leaky
bladders, the forgetfulness, and expanding
waistlines. I mean, I know I didn’t eat
more Tostitos last year. Women need to
know that what they are going through
is normal, otherwise they think what the
heck is happening to me and go down the
path of thinking, I am less relevant, less
sexy. Th at’s a terrible path. I want them to
know what to expect and off er fi xes, small
tweaks they can make in their life that will
have a big impact.
Speaking of aging, you just celebrated
your 70th birthday. What was it like
to hit that milestone? I like to say I got
off the age train at 45. When I look in
the mirror and how I feel, I’m between
45 and 50. But I was a little freaked out.
We grew up thinking 70 is old. Back
when my mother was young, 59 was
the average life expectancy. We grew
up hearing our parents talk about helping
Uncle Charlie who can’t keep up, so
in the back of our minds aging means
decline, and that can be a self-fulfi lling
prophecy. It doesn’t have to be. It’s
about attitude. You can extend that third
stage of your life if you’re willing to do
the work.
Are you slowing down any? Not at
all. I don’t want to. I’m incredibly busy
and there are a lot of opportunities. I
play tennis and hike. During summers
in Maine I’m into the climbing wall. I’m
good at it. I pride myself on getting up
that wall. Th e fi rst time I did it my arms
hurt so bad it hurt to brush my teeth. I
learned the trick is using the lower half
of your body for strength. But what has
changed is how I view the passage of
time. From my 30s through my 50s I
was gunning at a rapid pace against the
clock. I don’t do that anymore. I’m not
in a race. I do what I damn well please.
When I make the drive between my
home and the offi ce, I notice the sun
coming through the trees. In my 30s
I was too busy to see the sun. I have a
sense of freedom.
Joan Lunden remains active into her 70s.
/WWW.QNS.COM
